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Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Welcome Author Catherine Chernow!



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I met Catherine Chernow online through my Yahoo loop about a year ago. I quickly noticed how “real people” Catherine is and immediately, I knew—Catherine would be headed for author superstardom. To know her is to admire her and her writing speaks for itself. Catherine Chernow has that little “something-something” and if you’re just meeting her for the first time, I know you’ll agree.

I asked Catherine Chernow to join me as I kick off the guest blog spots here at It’s Only A Matter of My Opinion because it’s fitting really to have her join us as my first guest. Since day one, I’ve loved bumping into Catherine online and after reading Lady in White, I have a very strong opinion about my friend and fellow author Catherine Chernow.
She’s going places and most who know her would likely agree—she’s headed for the top!

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‘Amorous Aphrodisiacs’

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DIARY OF A MAD ESCORT by Catherine Chernow
What happens when fantasy sex becomes…murder?

Last year, I read an article about the D.C. Madame who ran a high-class escort service, and an interview with one of those escorts…

Never in a million years would I have guessed that this woman was a high-paid escort! She had a good job as a marketing executive, wore an elegant, pinstripe designer suit, carried an expensive designer leather handbag…

But tucked away in that bag were the tricks of her trade – her fur-lined handcuffs and little whips.

I was instantly fascinated. That fascination led me to write DIARY OF A MAD ESCORT (available for sale from Total-e-Bound).

In DIARY OF A MAD ESCORT, Grace Barry leads a double life. By day, she’s a smart, savvy financial consultant. By night… a sultry, seductive, paid escort providing fantasy sex to New York City’s wealthiest financiers. Grace, a.k.a., Ginger, arrives at her clients’ hotel rooms in her office clothes, looking like one of their own, but tucked away in her handbag are her sheepskin lined handcuffs and little whips. One evening’s sojourn to wealthy stockbroker Mark Chase’s hotel room changes Grace’s life forever. She slips her card key into the door…and discovers Mark’s dead body sprawled on the floor. Fear makes her run…straight into the arms of FBI agent Alex Winter, a man with a deadly secret…a man whose heart is as cold as ice. Now, Ginger must raise money for her defense. In a bold move, she offers her private diary for sale to any news channel willing to pay…

Alex Winters’ frozen heart matches his ice-blue eyes...and his name. His fellow agents call him ‘Iceman,’ and he has no patience for beautiful, scheming murderers like Ginger Berry. She’s the #1 suspect in the death of wealthy financier Mark Chase, but Alex’s fascination…and attraction to the scheming call girl gets in the way of his investigation. As Alex unlocks the secrets surrounding Mark Chase’s death, he unwittingly places Ginger in danger. When her life is threatened, it will be up to Alex to protect her, and keep her from publishing her diary of…a mad escort.

For a long time, Grace has ‘facilitated’ men. She’s their sexual fantasy come true – she’ll be anything and do anything they want, as long as they pay. Alex turns the tables on Grace, the day he tosses out a challenge to her: Alex swears he’ll make Grace so hot or him, that she’ll beg him to make love to her.

Hah! Impossible! Grace is the mistress of fantasy and carnal desire…

No man can turn her on.

Until, Alex.

Using the power of aphrodisiacs, he gives her what she gave her clients – freedom from herself. Alex takes over, and makes love to Grace through sexual fantasy – doing things that Grace has only dreamed of. Using the sensual allure of aphrodisiacs, Alex lulls Grace into a world of erotic pleasures.

Is it possible that aphrodisiacs do have sensual power? Can they truly turn you ‘on?’

In Elizabethan England it was believed that plants with any phallic features like asparagus, parsnips and carrots were certain to be aphrodisiac in their effects. So back then, it was believed that not only ingesting these phallic-like substances would make you virile, but looking at them, handling them, would, too. Why? Good love-making starts in the mind…and in the five senses.

Alex Winters knows that. He plays a ‘cat and mouse’ game of sexual tension with Grace. He taunts and teases her five senses – with certain aphrodisiacs – like a pheromone cream he rubs on her skin – and certain scents and tastes. Grace thinks he’ll be just like any other man she’s slept with, but soon learns the power of Alex’s sensuality. In his care, Grace imbibes utterly delicious food, revels in his nurturing of her body, as well as her mind.

Oysters resemble the female sex organ and have been highly touted as an aphrodisiac. They’re rich in zinc, and zinc purportedly controls progesterone levels, which have a positive effect on the libido. Zinc deficiency can cause impotence in men, so any food rich in zinc can be considered an aphrodisiac in that respect. Oysters are loaded with zinc! So, maybe the myth is true…

Or not.

You could ingest 100 different kinds of supposed aphrodisiacs, but if your mind-set isn’t right, the love-making won’t be, either. Alex knows this, surprising Grace with a side of him she didn’t dream existed. He lulls her into a state of absolute relaxation, leaving her vulnerable to his sensual power.

Vulerable? Yes, vulnerable. Sex is power. They go hand-in-hand. It’s all a mind game.

In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Oberon said,Fetch me that flower, the herb I show'd thee once;The juice of it on sleeping eyelids laidWill make man or woman madly doteUpon the next live creature that it sees.
Relaxation and opening your mind up to your five senses leads to great sex.


What you feel – the power of touch – plays a big role, too. For example, the feel of silk against your skin, or a lover’s touch, can waken a sleeping libido.

Taste – eating certain foods can be sensually stimulating. Make mine chocolate, please! The smooth, creamy sweet taste of chocolate is believed to be a powerful sexual stimulant.

Your mind has to be aroused first. The brain sends the signals to your body parts, so if your mind isn’t aroused, your won’t be, either.

Did you know: The musky scent of truffles is a big turn on? That vanilla inspires lust?

Hippocrates (c.460-377 B.C.E.) the father of medicine, is reported to have recommended lentils to keep a man virile well into old age

But no matter what the ancients believed, or what people in modern times purport as aphrodisiacs, it’s your state of mind that’s most important. You have to learn how to relax, to relinquish control (let someone else take over for a change!), play a little – get into a little role-playing and fantasy.

So, I ask you: What do you do to relax your mind? Your body? Got a fantasy you’d like to bring to life? (Ah, come on, I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours!). Hmmm…I have this scene in my head, where I’m captured by a handsome desert sheik, he takes me to his tent and…

Well, I’ll tell you the rest, if you share something with me: What do you believe is the most sensual aphrodisiac? Is it a certain food? A scent? Something you’ve read or seen? (like a scene in a romantic movie or book).

Then I’ll tell you what that sheik and I are doing in his tent!

16 comments:

Catherine Chernow said...

Hi Destiny! Thanks for the warm welcome.

I'm thrilled to be here today blogging with you.

: )

Catherine Chernow

AJ Hampton said...

Hello Catherine!! I love meeting new authors!!

Question: What were you doing the first time you got an accepted sub back?

AJ

Catherine Chernow said...

Hi AJ! I love meeting new authors, too. Your cover for TEMPTING SIN is wonderful.

I was sitting at my computer when I received the first acceptance from one of my publishers. The email I was reading was from my editor. It started out: "I'm sorry..." LOL - thank goodness I read the entire email, because I thougth 'I'm sorry' meant they didn't want my story.

The email read, "I'm sorry, but this is not the way I wanted to meet you, via email. I'd like to call you...we love your story."

And the rest, as they say, is history. My editor did indeed call me (a lovely gesture!), we chatted, got to know each other, and she asked me to submit an entire proposal for a series based on that first submission of paranormal erotic romance, LADY IN WHITE.

: )

Catherine Chernow

Destiny Blaine said...

Good Morning Everyone!

(((Waving to Catherine and AJ)))

Thank you for blogging with us today!

Destiny

Catherine Chernow said...

(((WAVING BACK AT YOU, DESTINY!)))

Thanks for inviting me to blog today, Destiny.

I had the absolute pleasure already of meeting author AJ Hampton and author Maddie James, a fellow Resplendence writer, stopped by, too.

: )

Catherine Chernow

Kim said...

I am so looking forward to reading Diary of a Mad Escort. Sounds like a non-stop book. I love all your covers for you books. Do you get to pick your own covers or is it by chance?

Catherine Chernow said...

Hello Kim!

It is an absolute pleasure to meet you. I'm having such a good time here at Destiny Blaine's Blog Spot.

Glad you like my book covers. At Resplendence Publishing, we have input as to book covers, which is very nice.

Rika Singh, the cover designer at Resplendence Publishing takes author suggestions into consideration when she's designing the cover then...voila! The cover is created.

At Totalebound, the publisher of DIARY OF A MAD ESCORT, they do the same thing. The cover artist at Totalebound is Ann - she really took my suggestions to heart when she created the cover for DIARY OF A MAD ESCORT.

: )

Catherine Chernow

Maddie James said...

Catherine, I can't wait to read Diary of a Mad Escort! I've heard so much about it and now I need to add it to my TBR pile! Very much looking forward to it.

maddie

Destiny Blaine said...

Hi Kim and Maddie!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Check out the new post I just put up about Catherine!

Destiny :))

Catherine Chernow said...

Hey there, Maddie!

Thanks for adding DIARY OF A MAD ESCORT to you TBR pile.

I've got one of those TBR piles, too! I save up all the books I want to read, then just take a week doing just that - enjoying the luxury of reading.

: )

Catherine Chernow

Anonymous said...

All of these stories look amazing. I wouldn't be able to pick just one lol.

Catherine Chernow said...

Hi Willow! Nice to meet you. LOL, I know what you mean...whenever I'm checking out an author's books, I find it so hard to choose. I always want them all.

Here's my suggestion: Start with LADY IN WHITE - it is the first story of my 'Bride's Inn' series of paranormal erotic romance.

Enjoy.

: )

Catherine Chernow

Destiny Blaine said...

Thank you for sharing your day with us today, Catherine. Tomorrow, we’ll be back here bright and early so make sure to have some questions ready for Catherine. If you aren’t able to post, drop them to me at destinyblaine@yahoo.com and I’ll post them for you!

Catherine—I will say good-night for tonight and will look forward to Friday since I have some awesome company to look forward to once again! See you tomorrow!


Hugs!
Destiny :)

Lisa said...

Well what did they do in the tent? Oh maybe I shouldn't of asked.
Hugs!
Lisa

Destiny Blaine said...

Lisa! You are so funny! I just saw this! I hope you'll stop back by to blog with us soon!

Destiny :))

Catherine Chernow said...

By all means, ask away!

You see, it all started like this:

There I was, riding on my camel in this caravan across the desert. The wind blew across my face,it felt like the breeze from a hot blow dryer scorching my skin.

"I don't know why I let you talk me into this trip, Lisa!" I glanced back at my friend, who didn't seem bothered in the least by hot wind, gritty sand in her eyes, and the blazing sun.

"It was a great deal, that's why. And you're having fun, admit it!"

The camel jostled me a few times, nearly throwing me off it's back (I didn't think camels were so...nasty).

The next thing I heard was a shout from the leader of the caravan and then I heard thunder. Glancing upwards, I noticed there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Then I saw them...riders on horses, their long keffiyeh's (headdresses) flowing behind them...

...to be continued.

: )

Catherine Chernow

Welcome to Destiny Blaine's Online Journal

Welcome to Destiny Blaine's Online Journal
"An Award Winning Bestselling International E-book and Paperback Author, Destiny Blaine and her pseudonyms top the charts at Amazon, Bookstrand, Barnes and Noble, ARE, Mobipocket, and other retailers online and off. Scroll down for a list of available titles, works in progress, and coming soon dates for debut titles.”

Author Bio

An award-winning, international bestselling erotic romance author, Destiny Blaine writes under several pen names. She lives in East Tennessee and spends a lot of time in Connecticut and Virginia, where her granddoll resides.